The Way To A Man's Heart
by Kate-Emma
Summary: Complete - About a friendship found when two people are forced to unite against a common enemy, stranded without the Hammersley around to help. Spider/Bomber.
1. Wild

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sea Patrol or any characters mentioned in this. That said, if i owned Spider i'd be a very happy gal!

**The Way To A Man's Heart…**

Chapter One:  
Wild

The kitchen was quiet, too quiet in her mind, and for a brief moment Rebecca was pleased. And then reality caught up. Something was wrong. Arming herself with a rolling pin, she proceeded to walk slowly around the room, opening the cupboards cautiously and peering into them. Half-way through she heard a loud snort from the doorway and turned with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyebrows. In the doorway of the ship's kitchen, her kitchen, stood her arch-nemisis Billy 'Spider' Webb. He gave her a cheesy grin, one of his trademark looks, and shot her a pair of raised eyebrows.

"Lost something Bomber?"

Rebecca 'Bomber' Brown restrained herself, despite being more than happy to hit him with the rolling pin.

"Just locating your brain Spider." She returned with her own smirk, hesitantly putting down the rolling pin. Spider's grin fell and Bomber knew she'd won this battle, one of many which raged between the pair. Despire being told by Robert 'Ro' Dixon to just ignore Spider, there was something about the man that bugged her terribly. And while Bomber had first been happy to be posted to a ship with someone her own age and level of experience, she soon wished she hadn't.

Bomber glanced at Spider. "What do you want?" It was because of him that Bomber was on edge, checking her surroundings every time things got too easy. It was nerve-wracking.

His reply was as stupid as she'd already predicted. "What's for dinner?"

Bomber actually laughed. "You're one of a kind Spider." She shook her head and turned back to the kitchen bench. "You can wait like everyone else." With that she opened the nearest cupboard and pulled out the first tin she could find, which turned out to be a can of beetroot. She put it on the bench beside her can opener and slid them towards him.

"If you're really hungry you can have that."

Spider gave her a small frown then his best withering look (which wasn't good) and walked away. Bomber just laughed and went back to work.

She put the plates down in front of the crew and Nav looked up at her with a smile. Bomber liked Nikki 'Nav' Caetano, she was slightly more reserved than Bomber, which was what she wanted to be. Bomber was ashamed of her temper and how quickly she'd flare up. Just last week Buffer had nearly put her on disciplinary charges after she'd thrown an egg at Spider, and tried to throw him in the water too. She'd only got out of it after saving herself and the irritating man from a brown snake. Bomber wished many things on Spider, especially muteness, but being bitten by a poisonous snake was not amongst them.

Speaking of the annoying man, he was now analysing the plate of food in front of him and prodding it with his fork

"What now?" Bomber sighed, drawing the attention of Ro, Nav and Kate 'XO' McGregor.

"What is it?"

"Stuffed chicken and a wild rice salad."

Spider looked up at her. "Is normal food so hard?"

Nav laughed. "Oh, get some culture Spider, it's good."

Spider shrugged and started to eat, his expression telling Bomber he really didn't hate it as much as he'd anticipated.

"You know, it isn't hard to say you were wrong." Bomber urged when she came back a moment later with Ro and X's dinners to find Spider had nearly finished it. He just gave a grunt, his mouth still full, and the X translated.

"That's Spider talk for 'thanks Bomber, it was great'."

Bomber smiled. "If you could bring your plates down when you're done." With that she headed back to the kitchen.

As Bomber was finishing her own dinner, eating and cleaning at the same time, Spider came to the door with a pile of plates in his hands. She took them off him and glanced back at see him eyeing a bowl of the wild rice salad that was still sitting on the bench. He saw her watching him and motioned to it. Bomber just laughed and pulled out a spoon, handing it to him with a genuine smile. And, to her shock and relief, he gave her a genuine smile back.


	2. It's All Fun and Games

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own this TV Show!

Chapter Two:  
All Fun and Games Till Someone Gets Hurt

"Boarding party, 5 minutes." Kate's voice echoed over the intercom as Bomber holstered her gun with a small but satisfying click. She then hurried out to the rib where Buffer and Spider were already boarding.

"C'mon Bomber." Buffer called to her and Bomber did as she was told. Their target today was a small boat that had been reported stolen by some mainlanders. They'd found the boat, silent and abandoned, on some rocks by a small island in the Coral Sea. The island, barely larger than a very small country town, was covered in trees and bush, the perfect hiding place for would-be fugitives. And while this was a search and recovery mission, Bomber knew from past experience to be prepared for anything.

Still lost in looking at the island, Bomber didn't realise the rib was being lowered until they touched the water with a small bump. She glanced around her and saw Spider watching her with, what Bomber would later realise was concern, in his eyes. She gave him a brief but very cheesy grin and looked back the island. It was mystical in it's a beauty, a sensation of calm like magic washing over her, but Bomber shook herself out of it. Mystical as it was, the crew of the Hammersley suspected it was hiding a small group of boat thieves who had been striking all along the Australian coastline. And they were dangerous.

Eventually they reached the boat and Bomber followed Buffer and Spider up onto the crashed vessel. After concluding there was no one on board, Bomber went to the front of the boat while Buffer radioed back to the Hammersley. The boat was stuck on the rocks and gave the impression it had simply floated there on it's own.

Leaning over the edge to have a closer look, she felt a hand on her shoulder as it gave her a small push and she slipped further over the edge, but a second later the grip tightened and pulled her back to her feet.

"Don't fall." An all-too-familiar voice quipped. Bomber turned on her attacker/saviour with a very sour expression.

"What the heck Spider?" Her rage meaning this was all she able to muster. Spider just ignored her and went to the edge of the boat, peering down at the rocks where Bomber had just been standing. She watched him with distaste, but frowned when his stupid grin fell.

"What? What is it?"

Spider glanced up at her. "There's somebody down there."

The body turned out to be that of another of the Russian men, his tattoo the same as the man they'd found on the snake-infested boat just last fortnight. As second-in-charge medical officer, Bomber analysed his injuries as soon as the boys had him back in the rib. He was unconscious, the large cut on the back of his head explaining how this likely happened.

Buffer glanced at her as she sat studying the man. "Any ideas?" He asked.

She glanced up at the men as they watched her, waiting for her analysis. "Uh, cut on his head, a few broken ribs and a broken ankle. I'd say he's fallen off the edge of the boat when it's hit the rocks." She suggested, messing up her theory that the boat had simply drifted onto the rocks. She told this to Buffer and he just nodded.

"I had that theory too, but with the discovery of this man I can safely say we were wrong." He glanced up at the Hammersley as they came closer. Bomber could see the X, Swain and the CO standing on the deck and watching them come in. She gave a small frown. If this theory wasn't correct then how did the boat get there? And if it was driven there why didn't it have more damage when it had hit the rocks? None of it made any sense.

The only peace Bomber knew she would get tonight was in her cooking, there, in her little kitchen, she could find herself lost in recipes rather than contemplating exactly what had happened on this little boat. And whatever had happened, it wasn't her problem now, it had been assigned to the Feds and there was no reason for her to ponder on it. Nonetheless her thoughts constantly strayed to it and even when she thought she was focused on slicing carrots she found herself nearly slicing off her index finger. Her saviour came in the form of Ro who appeared at the doorway and warned her to stop just before she became a four-fingered monster.

"What's with you tonight? You've been awfully quiet." Ro asked, leaning against the door frame in a pseudo-relaxed stance which made Bomber smile. Ro often had that effect on her and she couldn't imagine a moment on this ship without him.

"It's that Russian man Ro. I don't get it. I've been trying to work it out, but even though I know I'm not very good at science and maths and all those important things, I know that a man simply doesn't fall off a boat if it's only drifting."

"Waves? Maybe there were big waves."

Bomber shook her head. "The reef remember, which was why the Hammersley couldn't come any closer. Why we were almost out of radio range and why Buffer had to get back in the rib to radio back to base. Waves break on reefs. To get the boat in there it would've had to drift there or be driven there in the high tide. Whatever happened, it doesn't make any sense. He was almost right under the boat, I couldn't even see him when I looked over. Spider only saw him cos he's taller than me."

Bomber frowned then a thought hit her. "Unless he was there before the boat."

Now Ro frowned, a funny move that made his brow crinkle heavily. Bomber almost smiled. "That's a serious long-shot there Bomber. You're suggesting he was laying there and the boat just drifted on top of him. Of all the places on that large rock platform, it rolled onto him. And he stayed unconscious."

Bomber bit her lip. "I know it's a long-shot but it could've happened, couldn't it?"

Ro sighed. "Let it go Bomber, the Russian gets moved tomorrow to the Feds and we're out of the picture."

Bomber smiled softly. "Yeah but he's not gone yet." She handed Ro her wooden spoon. "Stir that stew, I'm going to see the X." And with that she darted out of the kitchen leaving Ro with a wooden spoon and a very shocked look on his face.


	3. Playing With Theories

Chapter Three:  
Playing With Theories

The control room was quiet and Spider felt himself start to drift off to sleep sitting at the controls. He didn't know what it was, it was barely seven, and figured he must be coming down with something. He'd go see Swain after dinner, unless something else came up.

Just as he was starting to wonder exactly where dinner was, Bomber appeared on the bridge looking like she'd run most of the way. X just glanced at her and walked slowly towards her. Pretending to stretch, Spider leant back in his chair and listened to the women talk. As he'd expected, it was about the Russian.

"Ro and I came up with it ma'am. It makes sense doesn't it?" Bomber said sounding a little excited by the whole thing. Spider realised he'd missed the first part of Bomber's sentence and frowned. Now he wouldn't have any idea what they were talking about.

The X just sighed. "It's an interesting theory Bomber but a bit far-fetched don't you think?" But the X could quite obviously see the desire to pursue this in Bomber's face and nodded. "Okay, go talk to Buffer about it then go see how Swain is doing with him. But this isn't an interview Bomber, that's the Feds job."

Bomber nodded. "Ma'am." She scurried off and X turned, noticing Spider watching her. She gave him a brief glance then went back to position. Now eager to find out exactly what Bomber's theory had been he made an excuse and headed downstairs. Passing the kitchen he noticed a very unhappy-looking Ro stirring a pot and sniggered but disappeared from Ro's view before he could coerce him into helping.

He found Bomber completely by accident a moment later when he rounded a corner to find she and Buffer deep in conversation. She shot him an emotionless glance as he came towards them but continued her conversation with Buffer.

"Don't you think we should just put it to him?" She asked.

Buffer shrugged. "Yeah, it's a possibility, but I saw him a minute ago and Swain says he's not right for anyone to talk to yet."

Bomber's shoulders slumped, clearly displeased with this news. As Buffer excused himself she turned on Spider. "What?" She asked, the slightest amount of defeat still in her voice.

Spider made up a reason why he was still there. "I just passed Ro in the kitchen, he doesn't look happy."

Bomber put her hand to her mouth, half-shocked, half-amused. "Oh no, he's going to kill me." She hurried off towards the kitchen and Spider followed her slowly. As he reached the kitchen he passed a softly muttering Ro who was headed back to the bridge. Spider sniggered again but then turned his attention back on Bomber as she started fishing bowls and cutlery out of drawers and cupboards. She noticed him standing there and motioned to the drawer by the door.

"Grab the ladle for me will you?" She asked, setting out the bowls in front of her. Spider decided to make himself useful for once and grabbed the ladle, poking her in the shoulder with it when he reached her. She swiped it off him in one smooth motion and started to serve the stew.

"What's bugging you Spider?" She asked a moment later, not looking up from her work.

Spider leant against the counter behind him, tossing an apple he'd grabbed from the fruit bowl up into the air. "Nothing, just heard you talking to the X about the Russian."

Bomber laughed but still didn't look at him. "You're a woman Spider, a sticky-beak." She glanced at him, a little more seriously than he'd predicted, and asked what he'd been waiting for her to ask. "What do you think happened to him?"

He just shrugged. "I have no idea. But I'm not the one with the theory, am i?"

Bomber sighed. "Not that it makes any difference, no one wants to hear it." She grumbled. "You know, when I was posted here I thought we'd have something different. I heard about Bright Island last year and how the CO chased it like a dog until you lot solved it, but now another huge mystery and we're just going to hand it over to the Feds!"

Spider nodded. He'd noticed that too and was also a little disappointed. But not to the level Bomber was, she seemed to be taking it somewhat personally. "Look, what's the theory anyway?"

Bomber turned this time. "You actually want to hear it?" Spider nodded again so she continued. "Well, I think the Russian man was there before the boat was."

They were both quiet for a minute, Bomber watching and trying to figure out what he thought of her theory. Then Spider answered her. He snorted. Bomber's nostrils flared angrily and she turned back to the stew. "Oh bugger off Spider."

Spider just laughed softly. "Sorry Bomber but you know the chances of that are like…"

"Better than those of you leaving here in one piece if you don't shut up." She turned on him, holding two bowls of stew. Spider took the hint and held up his hands.

"Fine, fine, I'm going." He made to leave but Bomber cleared her throat and he turned back to her, just in time for her to shove the bowls into his hands. "What…"

"Make yourself useful for once in your life." She said, turning back to the stove. Spider just pulled a face behind her back and carried the bowls back to the bridge. The Russian there before the boat? What a theory indeed.


	4. Stormy Weather

Chapter Four:  
Stormy Weather

The peace of her early morning cup of tea was broken by the sound of footsteps on the deck behind her and Bomber turned to see a very sleepy and tussle-haired Nav join her.

"Morning." She yawned, wiping the water she must've just splashed on her face off with her sleeve. She gave Bomber a smile and glanced out at the sunrise. "Red, great." She sighed. A storm was destined to hit them and this far off the mainland it was sure to be ugly. "How long have you been up?" She asked.

"About an hour." Bomber replied, glancing at her watch. "You look like you've been up all night."

Nav let out a small laugh. "Close enough." She shrugged. "I'm not complaining. I'll trade those three hours of sleep for this storm to pass without any trouble."

Just as Nav looked about ready to slump against the railing with overtiredness the X appeared. "Morning." She said, a level of cheeriness in her voice evident that she hadn't endured the night Nav had. Bomber just smiled at her but Nav pushed herself off the railing and followed her around to the front of the ship. Alone on the deck again, Bomber watched a flock of birds fly across the sun and up towards the growing mass of dark clouds in the distance. Nav was right, this storm was going to be trouble.

The big part of the storm hit after dinner, Bomber thankful as she'd already finished cleaning up and shutting the plates etc away in their cupboards securely. Now back on the bridge she watched the others prepare for the storm, knuckling down against the waves and doing their best to keep the large ship on course to calmer waters.

"How much further Nav?" The X called over the rushing noise outside.

"The storm is headed east, according to meterological reports. We're about 3 hours away from being out of it." She yelled back.

Sick of the noise on the bridge, and wanting to get out of everyone's way, Bomber headed back downstairs to find Buffer and talk to him more about the Russian. They still hadn't been able to pawn him off to the Feds. With the mainland too far away and the Feds not prepared to come out and meet them in the weather, the Russian was still onboard and, according to Swain, starting to wake-up. Bomber didn't see any reason why they couldn't get a few questions in before he clammed up or forgot what had happened, but the CO had bucked that idea and told Bomber, rather firmly, to leave well alone. But no one actually believed that would happen.

She found Swain before she found anyone else, attempting like Bomber to walk in as straight a line as possible down the hallways of the ship. He gave Bomber a brief smile and continued past her to the bridge. She also passed ET in the kitchen, helping himself to the only thing that hadn't been safely locked away, a loaf of bread. He grinned at Bomber as she passed. Bomber frowned. She'd only served dinner half an hour ago. That man had a stomach like a horse and a metabolism to match. Bomber cursed him for that, but continued without speaking to him.

As she passed the medical room though Bomber had to stop. Something was wrong. Swain never left the door ajar.

Pushing it open quietly she crept inside, determined not to be seen in case anyone accused her of intending to question the patient. But no one did and the room was silent. Far too silent. Pushing back the curtain around the bed Bomber realised why that was. The Russian was gone.

As Bomber left the medical room, determined to find the wayward European, she bumped straight into the last person she wanted to see. Spider just gave her a stupid grin.

"You been asking him if any boats have run over him recently?" He mocked above the wind. The wind. Bomber stopped. Why was it as loud down here as it was on the bridge? Shoving past Spider rudely she rounded into the next hall and found herself staring at one of the doors to the deck. It stood, swinging, the storm outside evident through it and the rain pouring in. Grabbing her gun from her thigh she started towards it, but stopped as Spider grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing Bomber?" He asked, looking up at the door like he was trying to see what Bomber could.

"Where's Buffer? And the CO?" She asked him.

Spider frowned. "They're in his office. I passed them in there a momen…" He would've continued but Bomber had moved out of his grasp and closer to the door, peering out into the storm. "Bomber?"

Bomber just yelled back at him before leaving through the swinging door. "Get them out here, now!" And then she was gone. Unsure what she was up to, Spider did what he was told.

"Sir?" Bomber called above the wind. She'd found the Russian standing in much the same position she'd been standing in just that morning. He glanced back at her, smiling softly as her smaller frame was buffeted about by the roaring winds. The deck was slippery and twice Bomber had had to grab the nearest thing to keep herself upright. But still she kept her gun at her side where it sat as little threat to the Russian but still at the perfect angle for Bomber to use it if anything went wrong.

"Step back from the railing sir, come inside, you're not well." She called to him as calmly as she could. She didn't know what his intentions were but knew enough to know that a person didn't just ignore medical suggestions and wander out into a storm if he wasn't hiding something.

And, to Bomber's surprise, he replied in English. "Australian Navy been very good to me. And I thank you." He clutched the railing. "But little girl, I need to go." He nodded towards the ocean. "Need to go."

Bomber inched closer to the man. "Sir, wherever you need to go you'll go there, just get back from the railing."

The man shook his head. "No, no can't go there girl. Can't go there. Ivan is ruined if he goes back to Australia."

Bomber nodded but before she had a chance to reply she heard three sets of footsteps join her on the deck and glanced back to see the CO, Buffer and Spider had joined her, their guns raised. The CO called out. "Get back from the railing sir." The Russian, Ivan, seemed to take the request badly and lifted one foot to the railing slowly.

"Ivan, stop. You're finished if you go out there too." Bomber called to him. Ivan seemed to listen to her and lowered the foot, glancing back at the girl. Bomber continued. "The Feds are coming to speak to you, but if you co-operate with them they'll let you go where you need to go."

Ivan smiled. "You can't promise this girl. You can't promise me this." He sighed and Bomber was surprised she could hear this above the sound of the storm, but it seemed to stand out to her more clearly than anything else. She couldn't even hear the CO order her back as she edged closer to the man. "What is your name girl?" The man asked as Bomber got within 2 metres of the man.

"Rebecca, Rebecca Brown." She replied, not removing her right hand from her gun but still sliding it back in it's holster. "And no, I can't promise you that, but I can put in a good word, say you co-operated with us and our questions."

Ivan smiled again. "Rebecca, lovely name for a beautiful girl." He glanced back out at the sea. "What questions do you have?"

Bomber frowned. She only had one. "Were you on that boat that we found you under, the Pacific Wonder?"

The man didn't remove his eyes from the sea, but he did shake his head. "No, I know no Pacific Wonder." His eyes widened slowly and Bomber glanced back see the men had edged closer to she and the Russian. She held up a hand to them but they didn't stop. She glanced back at the Russian just long enough to see him mouth goodbye to her before throwing himself rather dramatically off the edge of the ship and into the storm. Bomber rushed at the railing and glanced down at the frothing water below but she could see nothing. The others joined her a second later.

"He wasn't going to jump. I was talking him back." Bomber yelled above the noise at the CO as he joined her. The CO ignored her and she heard Buffer mention something to Spider. A moment later he had her by the tops of her arms and was leading her back into the dry inside.

"What were you doing?" Spider called above the noise outside as Bomber, angry and feeling useless, hurried back to her room. He followed her right to the door. "The CO is furious with you. You purposely disobeyed his request to fall back."

Bomber turned on Spider. "Yeah, and you three did such a good job. He was talking to me, he was coming back from the railing."

Spider just looked away from her. He then changed the subject just enough to basically order her to get changed out of her wet clothes. Bomber him a dirty look and he turned away, but she called out to him and watched him turn back to her. "Don't you want to know what he said?" She asked.

Spider just shrugged. "What did he say?"

"He wasn't on the Pacific Wonder. He was there before the boat." Bomber almost smiled at the expression on Spider's face after she said her peace, but instead just turned and went into her room with a feeling of accomplishment. At least she'd done something useful tonight. Whatever would happen later, she had that to help her through it.


	5. Scrambled and Served, Sunnyside Up!

Chapter Five:  
Scrambled and Served, Sunnyside Up!

Bomber awoke the next morning to a rather uneventful sky, the storm having passed and the Hammersley turned away from the mainland, no longer needed to drop off their passenger. But Bomber was worried and not even the call of the birds, cool breeze on her skin and bright sunrise could deter from that. Last night she'd disobeyed her CO and it appeared that all of it had been for nothing. The man had still jumped overboard and had surely drowned and now the Feds were more than angry with the CO and his team. Bomber knew this would be passed on to her and wasn't in any hurry to make it happen.

Resigning herself to her normal task at that time of the morning, breakfast, and the inevitable lecture and disciplinary charges she'd face later, Bomber left the deck to the confines of her kitchen, but was very upset when she found someone else in it. Buffer glanced up at her as she entered the small room, having just helped himself to a bowl of yoghurt and a spoon. Bomber gave him a weak smile and started to crack eggs.

"You're worried about what the CO will say, aren't you?" Buffer asked, surprising Bomber with his ability to read her like a book.

She turned to face him. "Wouldn't you be Buff? I completely stuffed up out there."

Buffer shook his head. "Not completely. We could all see what your intentions were, they just didn't work."

"But I disobeyed the CO, didn't i?" She paused. "I swear, I didn't even hear him, but still I disobeyed him." She looked back at the eggs, noticing an eggshell had made it into the bowl. She groaned and fished it out with a teaspoon. She really wasn't herself this morning.

"Yes, you disobeyed him, but you had a connection with the Russian man and we could see he was coming off the edge. If anyone should be held responsible for the man jumping it's me. I saw you holster your gun and then he started towards you. I assumed you'd let your guard down and told the others we should move. It was the wrong decision. But the CO knows this and he isn't about to hold my mistakes against you."

Bomber smiled softly, knowing that no matter what Buffer had said she was still doomed. "Thanks Buffer." She replied softly, returning to cracking eggs. She felt him pat her on the shoulder then leave the room. With a soft sigh she returned to work.

"Can't you go five minutes without complaining about everything I make? Goddam it, it's scrambled eggs." Bomber cried as Spider appeared at the door of the kitchen about twenty minutes after she'd served breakfast. She noticed the plates in his hand and took them off him a little too forcefully.

"Actually the eggs were fine. I'm running a message from the CO, he needs to see you." He smirked before leaving the doorway and shot a comment back at her. She would've been disappointed if he hadn't actually. "Maybe he wants to complain about the eggs." His laugh echoed around the kitchen for a minute before Bomber dumped the plates in the sink with a soft crash and threw down her tea towel. Now or nothing.

Gathering herself she left the safety of her kitchen and proceeded to the CO's office. Raising her hand slowly to knock, she was surprised when the CO simply pushed back the curtain covering his doorway and ushered her in. Taking a deep breath Bomber rejected his offered seat and stood, rigid, against the doorway as if using it to hold herself up.

"You wanted to see me Sir?" She asked a moment later after the CO had gone about a minute without saying anything to her.

He simply nodded before turning his attention to a pile of papers on his desk. "I'm sure you know what this is about Bomber."

Bomber sighed. "Last night, I didn't even hear y…" The Co held up a hand and Bomber stopped. "Sorry Sir." She muttered.

The CO turned towards her. "Bomber, you're good at your job, but when you step outside the lines and do things of your own accord…" He paused and Bomber filled in the blanks. She was done for. But he surprised her. "…you surprise everyone. First the snakes and now this."

Bomber frowned and the CO smiled. "Sir, I disobeyed your orders."

The CO just nodded. "I'm not unreasonable Bomber, and despite that I know how close you were to getting that man back inside. It was my fault that he jumped, we rushed him." Bomber must've looked surprised because the CO just smiled. "Yes, I will admit when I'm wrong."

Bomber just nodded, unsure of what to say. She knew her CO had something that not many COs had, but she'd still never expected this. "Sir, i…" She wasn't interrupted this time, she'd just run out of things to say.

"You can go Bomber." The CO said, turning back to his pile of papers. When Bomber still hadn't removed herself a minute later though he turned around again. "Is something on your mind?" He asked, putting his pen down and turning his full attention on her.

"Sir, were we really going to turn the Russian man over without asking any questions ourselves?"

The CO just smiled. "Bomber, I too have heard the stories about 'that Hammersley crew' and Bright Island last year, but this year it's about following the rules a little more closely." Bomber obviously looked disappointed because he continued. "We got caught up in the incident last year and despite everything working out in the end I often wonder whether our meddling caused the investigation to go on for longer than it should have. I and this crew got rather emotionally involved in the case and thought we could do it all ourselves but we couldn't. In the end our discoveries were more about luck than skill and no one, not even I, can deny that."

Bomber nodded slowly, but was still clearly disappointed with his answer as the CO just smiled and waved towards to the door. "I want you to go talk to Swain about the Russian, ask him what I wanted from him." He paused before turning back to his work. "Hopefully you won't look so disappointed in me then." And Bomber took that as her cue to leave.

A few minutes later she found herself outside Swain's office where he stood talking to Spider. The irritating man gave Bomber a brief grin and then passed her, and Bomber followed Swain back into the room.

"Swain, I have to ask you what the CO told you to do with the Russian." She said, rather more to the point than she usually was.

Swain chuckled. "The CO sent you did he? I heard about last night. Rather unimpressed no one told me my patient had gone missing though." He glanced up at her. "The CO tell you why we weren't exactly rushing him back to shore?"

"What do you mean?" Bomber hadn't been on the bridge much since they'd found the Russian, but thought they had been going at normal speed back to the mainland. "Are you saying the CO was stalling for time?"

Swain just nodded. "Wanted me to tell him exactly when the Russian woke up and was ready to talk, so he could question him." Swain saw Bomber's shocked expression and just smiled. "You've been assuming things about the CO haven't you, about how he handled the Russian?"

Bomber just nodded back at him. Swain gave her another grin. "Soon you'll learn better than to assume things about him, we all did." And Bomber knew not to question the CO again. He wasn't as strict to the rules as he liked to make out, and Bomber could appreciate that.


	6. A Little More Jekyll, A Little Less Hyde

Chapter Six:  
A Little More Jekyll, A Little Less Hyde

"I didn't…bloody…leave…" Bomber paused, closing the cupboard. Where the heck was her mixing bowl? Pulling the cupboards one at a time and finding everything else in it's usual place, she started to worry she'd gone mad and put it elsewhere by accident. Returning to its usual cupboard she crouched down and started to rifle through the pots and pans, lost in the back of the cupboard. Halfway through she heard a familiar voice at the doorway.

"What've you lost Bomber?" Ro asked.

Bomber smiled softly at the voice but didn't turn to look at him. "I can't find anything in these cupboards anymore." A pot fell with a crash to the ground and she heard a familiar, rude laugh in her head. At least she thought in was in her head. Dismissing it she continued. "I just can't find anything I'm looking for in here. It's just plain wrong!"

That same laugh echoed in her head, but this time when he spoke she knew it wasn't a terrible nightmare. "I've found what I'm looking for in here and it's only a little bit wrong."

Spider laughed again and Bomber spun to find he'd been looking right where her bum had just been. She stood, scowling at him, and his eyes met hers with a cheeky light. She just shook her head at him. "Stuff you Spider." She growled under her breath. He just laughed.

"Have you checked the fridge?" He suggested and instantly Bomber knew he played a very large part in the missing mixing bowl. Stalking to the fridge she yanked it open to find the bowl sitting on the middle shelf holding a container of margarine, a block of mozzarella cheese and two broken eggs, which had already started to dry on the cold surface of the aluminium canister. How long it had been there she didn't know but she hadn't opened the fridge since seven o'clock that morning. Fishing it out and placing, as calmly as she could muster, the margarine and cheese back in the fridge, she felt Spider's eyes watching her with unbridled amusement. She was, so far, controlling her anger and had managed to rinse the mixing bowl without hitting him with it, but she knew it would only take one smart-alec comment from the bane of her existence to set her off again. As if sensing this Ro's eyes darted between to pair, but, to Bomber's disappointment, he didn't lead Spider out of her kitchen. For almost a minute, while Bomber wiped down the bowl a little too forcefully, the trio were silent then Spider cleared his throat and Bomber put down the mixing bowl, turning on them. To Ro's obvious surprise her eyes locked on him.

"Get him out of here before I do something I regret."

Ro listened, tapping Spider on the shoulder before walking away but Spider was clearly enjoying himself and didn't follow. "Oh come on Bomber, just a little joke. No harm done right?"

Bomber just ignored him and fished the rest of her ingredients out of the fridge. Spider took a step into the kitchen, evidently trying to provoke her. "It's alright Bomber," He said, talking to her as if he was talking to a large, wild animal. "There's no need to go Hyde on me."

Bomber rounded on him, looking confused and surprised. Spider just laughed. "'Jekyll and Hyde'. I'm sure even you have heard of it."

Bomber just laughed sarcastically. "No, I'm just surprised you actually know how to read." She grinned back at him.

He nodded. "Touché." He smiled, the falsest sickly-sweetest smile he could muster. Bomber felt like she'd eaten far too many toffee apples and genuinely felt sick. "You win again Miss Brown." He bowed low, enjoying the whole thing immensely. She was about ready to kick him but fought against it.

"You should feel special Spider. This is a good day for you. I'm feeling rather Jekyll today. Hyde would've kicked you where it hurts and made sure there were never going to be a race of baby Carly's and Billy's (she watched Spider squirm at this statement with sheer enjoyment), but you escape free today to over-populate the world with idiots. Run along Spider, I'll let Darwinism take it's course today."

Ro nearly cacked himself with silent laughter, but Spider just frowned, looking at her like she was a bad smell on the bottom of his boots. She gave him one of his cheesy smiles and returned to work.

"You know, you have all the right features to be a perfectly presentable person… Rebecca." Spider countered. It was all a little less friendly now and Bomber wondered whether she'd taken it to far. But the she remembered, it was Spider, and he deserved everything he got. "Too bad you lack any kind of social skills."

With that he turned and left. Bomber threw in one last remark before he was out of earshot. "Yeah, love you too William." She grinned at Ro, who just shook his head at her before leaving, and got back to work. If Spider found an eggshell in his meatloaf tonight it was his own fault.


	7. Out Of Radio Sight, Out Of Your Mind!

Chapter Seven:  
Out Of Radio Sight, Out Of Your Mind

"Ma'am." Ro's voice echoed across the bridge and X turned towards him quickly. There was a sincere urgency in his voice and X responded.

"What is it Ro?" She asked, joining him at the radio controls.

"A child has gone missing from a boat off the coast of Harp Island." He said, glancing up at the X. "A young girl, 8 years old."

X frowned, understanding why they'd sent the message to the Hammersley rather than anyone else in the area. It was common knowledge that the CO had found himself lingering near the island since they'd found the Russian there the week before. And even more so now they'd lost the Russian. The X couldn't really understand it, there was very little chance of the Russian having made it out of that storm alive, and even less of a chance of him finding his way back to Harp Island, but she knew better than to question the CO and rarely questioned Mike.

"Alright." She turned to Nav but she'd already set the co-ordinates and was now calling them to Swain who sat at the ship's controls. They were headed back to Harp Island.

* * *

Bomber glanced at the all-to-familiar island again, almost laughing at the chances of them getting called back here again. She glanced up at Spider who also seemed to find the whole thing rather amusing and was talking rather animatedly to Buffer about another Bright Island. Buffer just shook it off.

"I hope not. That's the last thing we really need." He replied, glancing back at the island. They'd come at the island from a different side this time, and here the reef was even further out, making it harder for the Hammersley to come too close. And, like they'd expected, they were out of range with the Hammersley when they reached the island. Bomber had wondered when she'd heard this whether this may cause problems, but Buffer assured her it would be fine. If they needed to contact the Hammersley at any time throughout the recovery expedition they'd just have to send someone out to the edge of the reef on the rhib. It seemed unlikely though that they'd need to, it was just about finding the girl and getting out of there. Bomber was still worried though but put it down to a newly acquired pessimistic nature and shrugged it off.

The beach was quiet as the rhib stopped on the soft sand and the three of them of them jumped out. Buffer suggested splitting up and Bomber started to her left and around the island while Spider went right and Buffer started into the overgrowth. After ten minutes Bomber heard a loud whistle, Buffer's signal, and followed the sound to where she found Buffer standing over a small, crying figure. The girl, dressed in a light pink jumper and jeans had lost one of her shoes and was lying on her back in the dirt. Hanging above her was a large rock and Bomber put two and two together. She'd fallen off the rock. It wasn't just a recovery mission anymore. She could be seriously hurt. Donning her medical officer cap, Bomber rushed towards them.

"She's fallen from the ledge hasn't she?" Bomber asked Buffer as she reached him. Unstrapping her gun, cap and holster she put them down by the girl's leg and looked down at the girl. She was crying softly and Bomber could see her elbow was at a strange angle. "Where does it hurt sweetie?" She asked the girl.

With her good arm the girl pointed at her bad elbow. Bomber just nodded. "Yes, I can see that. Anywhere else? Your neck, your back?" The girl murmured and Bomber leant closer to hear what she was saying. "Where, where does it hurt?"

"My back hurts." She murmured again. Bomber frowned hoping it wasn't the worst. Asking her where in her back the girl continued. "The bottom of my back. It feels cold." Bomber glanced at Buffer. It really was the worst.

"Did we bring the stretcher?" She asked him. Buffer shook his head. Bomber turned back to the girl. "Can you move at all?" The girl could barely move her head without letting out a whimper of pain. Bomber glanced back at Buffer. "We need the stretcher." Buffer nodded and stood up.

"I'll have to go back to the Hammersley." He glanced around him. "When Spider makes his appearance tell him where I've gone. I shouldn't be too long." He looked down at the girl. "It's alright sweetheart, help is coming." Bomber stroked the girl's head and she gave Buffer a brief but pained smile. Buffer took that as his cue to leave and made off towards the rhib. A few minutes later she heard the engine and, as if triggered by this, Bomber spotted Spider emerge from the undergrowth, glancing out at the rhib. Bomber laughed and he must've heard her because a minute later he turned and spotted her. He then spotted the girl and his slightly angry expression fell. He joined Bomber a moment later.

"So, we've found her then?" He asked Bomber. He glanced down at the girl.

Despite the circumstances Bomber couldn't help but throw in a smartass remark. "No, this is another girl. Lucky isn't it?" Spider gave her a death stare and the girl laughed softly. Bomber glanced down at her. "This is Spider, and I'm Bomber. What's your name?"

The girl smiled. "Charlie, Charlie Birchgrove." She managed softly.

"Nice to meet you Charlie." Spider said to the girl before standing up. "If Buffer's gone back to the ship without us then it gives me some time to look around. Call me when he gets back, alright?" He asked, clearly wondering whether she actually would. Bomber was tempted to ridicule him again, but just nodded and Spider strode off into the bushes.

The girl let out a small giggle and Bomber glanced down at her. "What's so funny Charlie?" She asked, analysing Charlie's arm and glad that she'd managed to find something entertaining. Or in this case someone.

"Spider." She paused and lowered her voice. "He's cute." Bomber just laughed at this.

"I think he's a bit old for you. What are you doing looking at boys anyway? Aren't you 8?"

"I'm 8 and a half actually, and that's the prime age to start looking for a boyfriend. I wouldn't want to be old, like 20 and not have a boyfriend."

Bomber just lowered an eyebrow. "Well I'm 21 and I don't have a boyfriend."

Charlie frowned. "I thought Spider was your boyfriend." Bomber snorted softly at this and Charlie pursed her lips slowly. "Don't you like him?"

Bomber smiled. "Well, I don't dislike him if that's what you want to know. I guess he's a friend?"

Charlie seemed unconvinced by this and Bomber decided to change the subject. "So Charlie, you'd be in year 4 wouldn't you? Do you enjoy school?"

Charlie just shrugged. "It's alright." She gave a small frown. "Bomber? What kind of name is that?"

Bomber grinned. "It's a nickname. My real name is Rebecca." She glanced up into the bushes where Spider had disappeared, no longer able to see him through the trees. "And what's Charlie short for?"

"Charmaine." Charlie replied, distaste in her voice. "I hate that name. The kids at school call me Charmander, like the Pokémon character." Bomber knew very little about Pokémon and just smiled at this. Charlie continued. "If I went back to school with a cool nickname like Bomber that would be good."

Bomber nodded. "Alright, then we'll have to think up one for you. Birchgrove is it?" She rubbed her chin, never great at those old style Navy nicknames. "Birchgrove. Birchg…" She was interrupted as Spider's voice echoed across the island. She glanced down at Charlie. "You just stay still Charlie, don't try to move. I'll be back in a minute." Grabbing her gun and holster, and leaving the cap for Charlie to wear, Bomber hurried off after Spider's voice.

She found him a few minutes later, standing in front of a very ugly sight. There, in front of them, a man was impaled on a sharp root that stood sticking out of the ground. There was blood everywhere and Bomber actually felt sick at the sight before finally averting her eyes.

"What happened?" She asked Spider, still not looking at the man.

Spider turned away from the sight and stood in front of Bomber, shielding the sight from her view so she could look up at him. "I don't know, but do you know who it is?"

Bomber chanced a quick peek and noticed his arm. The tattoo. It was Ivan the Russian. "Bloody heck, Ivan?" She glanced back at Spider. "I thought him surely drowned."

Spider nodded. "Me too. Not that it mattered in the end anyway." The slightest amount of amusement in his voice. Bomber shot him a cold look. "Still, at least we know he didn't wash up here." He continued, thoroughly enjoying this.

Bomber just shook her head. "You're sick. I better get back to Charlie. You can tell Buffer about your magnificent find when he gets back." She turned around and started back to the girl but stopped when she heard a click and turned back towards Spider to find a man standing behind him, holding a gun to his head. Bomber instantly pulled out hers and aimed it at the man.

"Put it down." She replied calmly, watching Spider's eyes dart towards the man, evidently only now aware he was being held hostage. His arms had been crossed as he was talking to Bomber and remained there, unable to move them towards his gun. He now stood at the mercy of the man behind him, with only Bomber there to help him. "Put it down." Bomber said again, clicking off her safety as a threat. The large man just laughed. Then he spoke with a European accent.

"You put yours down girlie, you are surrounded." And he was right, a minute later two more figures appeared behind him and Bomber lowered and dropped her gun, holding up her hands. Then Spider spoke.

"Bomber, watch out!" He called, distracting the man behind him and giving him a chance to grab his gun. He was too slow though and a second later Bomber felt a sharp pain on the top of her head and her world went black.


	8. Lost Comrades

* * *

Chapter Eight:

Lost Comrades

Buffer, ET and Swain disembarked the rhib carrying the stretcher between them. Buffer, knowing they barely had a moment to lose, jogged straight to the point where the young girl lay. But when they got there they realised she was alone. Where were Spider and Bomber? After the girl, who Buffer noticed was wearing a Hammersley cap that he guessed was Bomber's, was safely on the stretcher they headed back to the rhib. Halfway there she asked what they were all wondering.

"Where's Bomber?" She asked softly, confirming what Buffer had guessed by touching the cap quickly.

Buffer glanced down at her. "Did she say where she was going?"

The girl couldn't move her neck well, so she just pointed blankly back at the place where they'd just been. "She went off with Spider."

Buffer glanced up as ET snorted and lowered his eyebrows. The grin on ET's face fell and he glanced away to the bushland behind them. After they had the girl in the rhib, Swain with her, Buffer waved them away. He and ET were going after Bomber and Spider.

* * *

"BOMBER?" There was a short pause. "SPIDER?" ET's voice called off in the distance as the pair split and started around the small island. Half an hour later he heard ET's voice call out to him and started towards him. He found him ten minutes later, standing over the body of a badly impaled man. Buffer frowned at his very familiar face. He glanced at ET.

"How long do you think he's been here?" He asked him.

ET shrugged. "I'd guess a few days, since he jumped the Hammersley."

Buffer nodded in agreement. "I'd say this is why they left the girl." He frowned. But where were his men? He glanced around him, determined to find any sign of them and it was then that he noticed the cap under the bush. Fishing it out he held it up to ET who just frowned. It was surely Spider's. Glancing back at where Buffer had just found the cap ET noticed something else and grabbed it. It was a gun. Spider's too if he guessed correctly. He held it up for Buffer to see. The older man just shook his head.

"Something's happened here." He glanced around him, desperate for any more clues for the whereabouts of Bomber and Spider, but there were none. Then ET said exactly what Buffer had been trying to avoid asking.

"Do you think whoever did this to him (he motioned to the Russian), did something to them?"

Buffer frowned again. "I sincerely hope not." He looked back towards the beach. "C'mon, we better get back to the Hammersley. They aren't here anymore. Even if this has nothing to do with the Russian we still would've heard their bickering by now." He smiled weakly, hoping nothing had happened to the young duo.

* * *

"SEABOAT, UP." The X yelled from the bridge. Buffer caught her eye as she looked down into the rhib, he guessed looking for her two youngest members. They weren't there and he could see her frown. She met him on the deck five minutes later.

"What did you find? Swain told me Bomber and Spider weren't with the girl."

Buffer shook his head before handing her Spider's cap and gun. "This is all we could find. Them and the Russian that went overboard. He's dead." The X nodded but Buffer continued. "It looks like he's been murdered."

She glanced up at this. "OK, I'll go tell the CO, he'll have to get on to NAVCOM." She headed back upstairs while Buffer followed ET to the rec room to forget what he'd just seen.

When the X reached the bridge the CO was waiting for her.

"What's news X?" He asked. Kate just shook her head and with a small nod he turned to RO. "RO, get me NAVCOM." RO took a minute to reply, evidently worried about his friends and then nodded, turning back to the radio. X explained about the Russian and by the time she'd finished RO had the Commander. The CO took it as calmly as he could.

"Yes Commander, no sign of them." He paused. "I fear they've been taken prisoner."


	9. Let's Work Together For Once

Chapter Nine:  
Let's Work Together For Once

Bomber awoke with a splitting headache and blurry eyes, but her sense of panic was very much awake, especially when she felt the gentle rocking of waves and realised she was on a boat. Taking a deep, calming breath she heard something move beside her and squeezed her eyes together to regain her vision. As she did she noticed the room she was in was actually very light and above her was a window, only small but letting in quite a bit of light. Bomber guessed it to be about 3 or 4pm. Then her eyes caught another figure only a few feet away from her. Tied up, blindfolded and gagged Spider had clearly caused the men more trouble as Bomber was only tied up at the wrists. She called out softly to Spider and he must've heard her as he stopped wiggling around and sat still. He made a noise from behind the gag and Bomber pushed herself to her feet and moved towards him. She sat down next to him and leant back against him.

"Can you move your fingers? If you can untie me we can get out of here faster than if we try to do everything by ourselves." She suggested, the idea of the pair of them working together almost ludicrous. Even during the snake incident it hadn't been about working together but more about Spider doing what Bomber told him to. But this time he seemed to take to heart the concept of teamwork and she watched him move his hands closer to hers, stretching his arm as far as he could.

"Careful." Bomber warned, seeing he was putting just a little too much effort into loosening his hold and trying to reach the knot around her wrist. A second later she knew he'd tried too hard as a sharp click, not unlike the click of a safety, echoed through Bomber's ears and she cringed at the knowledge of what it was. Then she heard Spider cry into his gag and was glad he was gagged otherwise the sound of his pain could've woken the dead. Turning herself towards him she could see the pain in the parts of his face she could see and his body had tensed up. In her best effort to comfort him she lay her head on his good shoulder and spoke softly to him. After a minute of inane chatter he'd relaxed clearly and Bomber turned her back to him again. He sensed her move and attempted to continue untying her wrists, but she pushed his hand back.

"No. I'll untie you then you can untie me." She suggested. As she'd first suspected she wasn't anywhere near as good as Spider at this, but she took it much slower than Spider had too in case she did the same thing he just had, and after about 25 minutes he was untied. She then watched him pull his gag from his mouth and pull the blindfold off his head. His eyes were watering and he was still grimacing as he moved towards her, untying her with a mix of his good hand and his teeth. The arm he'd hurt lay at his side, him not yet ready to move it. Once free she untied his legs and moved to his bad arm. It was clearly dislocated and she knew what she had to do.

"Sorry, but this isn't going to be pretty." She said. Spider seemed to know what needed to be done and grabbed the gag he'd just had in his mouth, and bit down on it again as Bomber grabbed his elbow and wrist, gave his arm a slight twist and popped it back into place. The dislocated arm was back to normal, and as Bomber had predicted putting it back in wasn't as painful as taking it out, but Spider had barely made a sound. Bomber gave him a small smile and removed the gag. "I'm sorry Spider. I shouldn't've asked so much from you."

"It's not your fault, you warned me." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alright, so how the hell do we get out of here?"

* * *

Bomber had managed to create a makeshift sling out of the gag (which turned out to be an old t-shirt) and the ropes and now Spider's arm lay strapped to his chest, unable to be moved until it could be properly analysed with an x-ray machine. She'd seen some pretty bad injuries come from dislocated shoulders, but on the whole they were a rather uneventful thing that could easily be repaired by putting the arm back in it's socket and not moving it. But in the situation they were in it now seemed highly unlikely that Spider would get a chance to rest the injury. He was now staring at the window rather longingly while Bomber assessed the door to the room they were in. A big metal thing it looked more like a fridge door than a door to a normal room and glancing around her Bomber couldn't understand why. The room was little more than a storeroom, cleared of everything except a pile of boxes and a small water heater gauge on the wall behind them. Glancing at the boxes she moved towards them. They were relatively empty, save the bottom one which held a small ball of yarn. She picked it up and looked at it, but looked up from it when she heard Spider laugh.

"You going to go Jack Bauer on us and blow up the door and kill the hostages with a piece of yarn?" He suggested. Bomber raised the yarn to throw it at him but decided that seeing as he was in more than enough pain it was just mean.

"Shut your mouth until you have some decent input alright?" She replied, tossing the yarn back in the box. She turned away from him. "Like staring out the window is going to help our situation." She smiled. "Unless you're dreaming about your precious Carly." She suggested. She glanced back at him and watched him frown at her. He then motioned to the window.

"Actually, staring out the window just might be some good input." He stepped back and motioned for Bomber to join him. Glancing out the window she saw exactly why this information was important. They were a little off an island. An island much larger than Harp Island. And a good place for them to hide.

She glanced at him. "Yeah, well, we have to get out of here first don't we?" She walked away from him. "Work on that one now Einstein." Then, dropping herself amongst a pile of boxes, she leant back against the wall and closed her eyes, imagining she was anywhere but being held hostage with Billy Webb.


	10. Showing Off Will Get You Everywhere

Chapter Ten:  
Showing Off Will Get You Everywhere

It was dark when Bomber opened her eyes and she realised she must've fallen asleep. Pushing aside a box that had fallen up against her it hit something and bounced back. It was then that she realised Spider had set up his own camp pretty much beside her and she lifted the box to see Spider watching her. He raised his eyebrows at her and she was very tempted to drop the box between them again. Instead she stood up and put the box down on top of the others. Stretching and yawning she glanced out the window. The sky was lit with stars and she could hear the soft splash of the waves on the side of the boat. But then she realised she could hear something else. The jingle of keys and a cough outside the room door and she crept over, behind the door, just as it swung open and light fell across half of the room. The light lit up Spider's face and he glowered up at the man who just smirked.

"You got out of your ties I see. Clever boy. But where is your girlfriend? I hope you untied her too." He gave Spider a toothy grin and Bomber seized her chance. She snuck up behind him and, using her fists in a combined swinging motion, brought them up into the side of his face. His nose broke and she felt blood rush down the side of her hands as he dropped the tray he was carrying to grab his nose. He swung towards her and she kicked him squarely in the stomach, causing him to bend over. Then, with a quick motion, she pulled the tray towards her with her foot, picked it up and hit him in the side of the head with it. The clang of it hitting him echoed through the room and Bomber heard the voices above them stop. She'd be joined soon. Now clutching his head and nose, the man didn't notice Bomber reach into the back of his trousers and pull out the handgun she'd seen there when he walked in. She then motioned to Spider, who had stood to watch the whole thing, and they left the room, slamming the door on the man behind them.

"Very impressive Bomber." Spider whispered to her as they headed down the long hallway that stretched between them and a set of stairs at the end of the hall. Bomber just held up a finger, signalling him to be quiet, and listened as footsteps started on the stairs. Spider reacted a little quicker than Bomber this time, so full of excitement from fighting the man she was ready to take on anyone who came downstairs, but Spider just grabbed the back of her overalls and pulled her back with him under the stairs and into the darkness. Cramped and confined to that small space, Bomber knew he'd done the right thing, but she couldn't help feel useless under there as the three men that came down walked right past them. Standing that close to Spider too, she could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath he took and his arm had wound itself around her waist to hold her in place, was also rather uncomfortable.

"They're gone!" The first man exclaimed as he emerged from scouring the room. The bloody man she'd beaten also followed him out and Bomber smiled.

"They can't have gone far." He pointed to the man beside him, a tall dark-haired man with a small moustache. "You stay here. We'll search the other rooms and out on the deck. They can't have come upstairs, we'd have seen them." They rushed off, leaving the first man alone, leaning against the closed door behind him and glancing around. Soon, the other rooms having been checked, he was alone in the hallway. Spider removed his arm from Bomber's waist and she took it as her chance to get them out of here. She stepped out from under the stairs, her gun raised towards the man, and he turned on her.

For a moment he looked rather surprised to see her and gaped, then he spoke. "Put down the gun girl, you don't know what you're doing."

Bomber almost smiled. "You Europeans always underestimate the women don't you?" She stepped closer to him, her gun pointed at his head and his pointed at hers. His hands trembled though, the concept of shooting a girl evidently too hard for him. "Guess what, Australian Navy. I know how to work a gun." She then moved in a way he obviously hadn't predicted, kicking out her leg and ducking so she was under the range of his gun. Lucky too as he finally fired but it flew right over her head and embedded in the wall behind her. Now practically underneath his arm she brought herself up and, with her own gun, knocked his gun out of his hands before shunting him back against the door. He fell back against it with a loud thud, which echoed out onto the deck, and Bomber could almost hear the men outside coming towards them. She kicked the man on the ground in the side of the head and he fell unconscious. She then turned back to Spider, kicking the man's gun towards him.

"That Jack Bauer enough for you?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips.

Spider nodded. "I stand corrected." He picked up the gun and held it out in front of him in his right hand. "Let's go Sydney." Bomber gave him a blank look and he explained. "Alias?"

Bomber, despite the circumstances, laughed. "You watch too much TV Spider." And with that they left the hall, headed for the deck.

* * *

The men were, indeed, waiting for them as they left the hallway and headed for the deck. Rather than walk into it though, the pair new better and headed upstairs where one lone figure stood on the bridge watching the men on the deck below them. He didn't hear them coming up behind him and Spider managed to shoulder him out of the way before Bomber grabbed his gun off the table and held the two pistols towards him. She then noticed the gun was actually hers and grinned, waving it at Spider.

"I got mine back. Where's yours?" She teased. Spider just ignored her as he smacked the man unconscious with the butt of the gun. He slumped to the floor.

"That was the man that knocked you out. You owe me one." He replied, glancing at Bomber with an air of superiority.

Bomber just laughed. "Remind me to thank you when I give a damn." Disarming one of the guns she pocketed the clip and threw the gun on the table. "Let's go before those boofheads down here realise we're not coming out to play."

Then, stepping out of the bridge, she started to climb down a ladder at the side of the boat. It was a long and tiring process, with Bomber having to wait for Spider constantly, but eventually they found the water and jumped down into it. Now waist-deep they strode towards the island.

As they pulled themselves up onto the land they noticed the men on the boat had given up on the door and decided to go inside. All except one who seemed to be strolling rather lazily, before he noticed the two figures on the beach and called out something in broken English. Glancing around her Bomber noticed the line tied around one of the large trees behind her that led back to the boat. It was pulled tight, taut with the pressure it was under. Aiming her gun expertly she shot the rope twice and it frayed significantly. A minute later it broke free and, caught in the tide, the boat started to roll away from the island.

Spider just snorted. "Stop showing off Bomber and get into the undergrowth."

Bomber turned on him. "Let's not talk about showing off Spider. While you were exacting revenge for me I was planning well ahead." She loosened her hold on the gun a little and a set of keys fell out, hanging off her pinky. Even Spider could tell they were the boat's keys and almost smiled at her forward thinking. "C'mon, let's go." And she strode off into the bushes, Spider following her with an expression of admiration still on his face.


	11. The Search Falters

Chapter Eleven:  
The Search Falters

Ro held up the phone and the CO took it off him slowly. "Sir?" He said into it, hoping his senior would deliver exactly what he wanted to hear. He did and the CO put down the phone to announce they'd been given permission to suspend normal duties until they found their friends. But by the time darkness fell on the first night there had still been no sign of them. Sitting in the rec room with Buffer, RO and Swain ET muttered something about tracking devices embedded in legs before going silent. He'd earlier commented that it was unlucky they'd lost both of them because they had the 'uncanny ability to find and annoy' the other in all situations. But his jokes were beginning to wain and the crew of the Hammersley soon missed it. They didn't blame him though.

After a few minutes of silence Swain stood up. Glancing up at the first sign of movement Swain felt obliged to explain his departure. He needed to check on Charlie. Still feeling ill they hadn't managed to get her right to move yet. But, one thing to be thankful for, she wasn't seriously injured. Her pain and inability to move had been caused by shock and now a lot calmer she was able to sit up and move her neck. She still hadn't walked yet though.

Then, waking everyone from their stupor, ET smacked the table with the palm of his hand. "Charlie, of course!" He stood up. "Has anyone spoken to her?"

Swain shook his head. "No. She doesn't know they're still missing and I'm worried how she might take it if she found out. She's taken a liking to them and keeps asking for them to come visit her. Anyway, she'll be asleep."

ET frowned. "Fine, then we don't tell her."

Swain just shook his head. "No. And that's my final word."

"Fine." ET made for the door. "But I'm still going to run it past the X." And with that he left.

* * *

"Swain? How's the girl?" X called to Swain a few minutes later. He shut the door but not the entire way and left just the smallest gap, barely the size of a child's fist.

"I told ET, she's not ready. I'm sorry ma'am." X just nodded before turning on ET but before she could say anything a small voice sounded from the doorway.

"Ready for what?"

The three of them looked to the door to see Charlie standing there looking up at them. Swain made to usher her back inside but ET got his question in. "Did you see a boat on Harp Island?"

Swain and X both gave him a dirty look, but he was too busy looking at Charlie. "Yes, there were five men on it, arguing."

ET just grinned and X's frown dropped. She ignored Swain's incredulous look and crouched down to talk to her. "Did you see what it was called?"

Charlie smiled and nodded. "The Territory. I liked it because I'm from Darwin."

The X stood and smiled back at the girl. "Thank you." With that Swain was free to get in her back into the room.

ET just grinned. "At least the girl's walking now." He said, purposely playing down his role in the retrieval of the name of the boat. The X just gave him a nod and a tap on the shoulder before heading back to the bridge. ET returned to the rec room, a few more jokes about Spider and Bomber in mind.

* * *

"NAVCOM, we have a possible culprit or a witness. The registered name is The Territory. Any more information unknown." The CO spoke to NAVCOM as the others on the bridge looked on. They could barely contain the small smiles on their faces. With a name they could find the Territory and hopefully find their friends alive and well. It was a huge boost.

The Commander's voice crackled over the phone. "Mike, they found the Territory off the coast of Anderson Island at 8pm. It was sinking, hit one of the reefs of the nearby islands. I'm sorry Mike but your men weren't on board."

The CO frowned. "Anderson Island? They must've dumped them on one of the nearby islands."

The Commander returned his reply. "You're free to search them all Mike, but there's 100 of them, the biggest, Miriad, takes two days to cross." He paused and the CO waited. "We all wish you good luck Mike. We'll all keep a look-out for your men."

And with that the conversation, and the lead, struck a cold end. Nonetheless they set their course for the islands, determined to find their friends. No matter how many days it took.


	12. Let's Not Be Friends, Okay?

Chapter Twelve:  
Let's Not Be Friends, Okay?

Bomber wished she had her watch, at least then she'd know something about the situation around her. For some reason there was safety in knowledge, even the smallest thing like the time. But glancing up at the moon she took a chance with the time and estimated it to be somewhere around 9pm. They'd been walking deep into the undergrowth for about two hours now, going slow with Spider having to avoid trees in case they hit his arm and Bomber often tripping over low lying roots and being caught at the last minute by Spider's free hand before she fell flat on her face. It had worked well, this teamwork thing, and Bomber was almost worried she'd eventually have to start actually being civil with Spider. What fun was that? Their entire relationship so far had been about terrorising each other. It seemed very strange the idea of having a normal, civilised conversation with the man. But maybe it wouldn't come to that. Maybe they could block this moment out once they got back on the Hammersley and return to taunting each other about the stupidest things, be it Carly Walsman or Bomber's cooking. Carly Walsman. Bomber didn't have a problem with the girl at all, she didn't know her, but she did rather enjoy ribbing Spider about it. She took her chance to break the silence now with it.

"Wonder what Carly's doing now. I'm sure it's far past her bedtime actually." She sniped, having a go at Carly's age. She was 17.

Spider responded in a way that Bomber found rather disappointing actually. He laughed. "Probably." He just said, continuing his walk. Bomber frowned to herself in the darkness. Well, that was no fun.

Bomber tried to reverse it, open it up for Spider to insult her. "Gosh I miss my kitchen. I could so go something, anything right now."

Spider groaned. "Oh, please don't talk about food. I'm starving." He stopped. "Why didn't we eat that food the Russian brought in to us? Oh that's right, cos you were busy beating him with it." He continued walking. "Still should've grabbed some though. Perfectly good bread roll, wasted. And milk…" He started off, muttering to himself a list of things he'd like to be eating right now. There had been a hint of an insult in there but not enough to satisfy Bomber. She almost felt she was becoming addicted to this destructive relationship she had built with Spider and worried whether this really was the best thing to yearn for right now, but it still kept her mind off the fact that they were stuffed if their crew didn't find them soon. Those men would be back and they didn't hold she and Spider hostage for the fun of it. And if her suspicions were correct they killed Ivan too, and while their antics on the ship had resembled those of the Marx Brothers, Bomber feared them still. But right now she was bored. She tried again.

"You know I actually took out chicken this morning for dinner. Roast chicken with vegetables. My favourite dish. Oh the smell of it wafting through the ship." She glanced up at the figure of Spider, determined to make him respond. Again he let her down.

"What is this, 'tease Spider with delicious food day'?" Bomber frowned. That had actually been a compliment. She felt ill. Soon she and Spider would be sharing stories of their childhood. It was time to put a stop to this. She paused in her tracks and the lack of her presence at his side obviously alerted Spider because he stopped too and turned, despite only being able to see her dark outline.

"What's up?" He asked.

"This. What is this 'tease Spider' stuff? I give you more than enough room to have a go at me and you start acting civil." She exclaimed. She could almost hear Spider frown and then he took a step towards her.

"You feeling alright? It's almost like you want me to insult you." He replied, amusement in his voice.

"Well forgive me if I don't want a little normality right now. This really isn't the time or place to start getting friendly."

Spider just laughed. "Look, I'm stuffed. Next ledge or anything like it we come across I'm kipping for the night. You're very welcome to go pick a fight with a tree if you want to." He joked. Bomber almost hit him but realised she was tired too; it had been a long day. That and she was starting to get cold. The wind had picked up and was blowing a very cold breeze through the rustling trees. Rather than continue this discussion she decided to let it go. Hopefully he'd be back to normal in the morning after some sleep. She motioned, although knowing he couldn't see, at a figure in the distance. It was about 20 minutes away.

"I think that's a ledge over there. Let's go, I'm freezing."

* * *

To her luck it was a ledge, a nice deep one large enough for both of them to have their own corners. Settling herself down in one of the corners she tucked her legs up to her chest and put her head down on her knees, but she was still freezing. Shuffling herself back against the wall even further, she was simply met with cold rock and after 5 minutes, when it didn't warm up, she moved again. This time she lay down on the dirt, her arms across her chest and her knees tucked up in the foetal position. But still she shivered. She didn't have enough energy and that meant little body warmth. It appeared she was destined to freeze out here. She longed for her pyjamas and warm bed back on the ship.

"You alright over there?" A voice asked and Bomber suddenly remembered she wasn't alone.

"Yeah, fine." But her teeth chattered as she spoke and she knew Spider had heard this when he moved closer to her.

"You know, you're a horrid liar Bomber. You really should work on it." He pressed himself up against the wall behind her and she heard him shiver a little, but then he was quiet again. "Cold?" He eventually asked.

Bomber frowned, basic training told her the best way to survive in these situations was shared body heat, but the thought of cosying up to Spider felt about as inviting as cosying up to a great white shark. But her survival instincts got the better of her and she sat up, moving closer to him. She instantly felt warmer, but still not anywhere near warm enough (or comfortable enough) to get any sleep. As if realising this she felt Spider's warm arm wind it's way around her waist and pull her closer to him.

"Anyone hears I initiated this and I'll kill you." He said softly.

Bomber chuckled, a lot less uncomfortable now. "No chance. Anyone hears I accepted this and you're finished too." She leant her head against Spider's chest and crossing one arm over her stomach, she let the other lean softly against Spider's injured arm. Unlike the rest of him this arm was rather cold and Bomber was a little worried about this. It suggested a bad blood flow, which meant more extensive damage. But there was nothing anyone could do about it now and Bomber just touched it gingerly. Spider must have felt this, a good sign, and he spoke.

"What's the prognosis doc?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah it's fine." But she knew there was no belief in her statement or in her voice. Spider didn't say anything for a minute and then he spoke again.

"Another top job Ms Brown." He said, and she sensed him lay his head back against the wall. Realising there was nothing anyone could do right now Bomber just left her hand on Spider's and fell asleep against him.


	13. How Could I Make Such A Terrible Mistake

Chapter Thirteen:  
How Could I Make Such A Terrible Mistake?

Bomber awoke just the way she liked it, to the sound of birds and waves. Warm and content to enjoy the sound of it all, Bomber lay back against her pillow and thought about getting up and making herself a cup of tea. Enjoying the sunrise and a cup of tea on the Hammersley, surely that was paradise. But then her pillow moved and she realised exactly where she was. Opening her eyes she glanced up at Spider who looked almost human in his sleep. Bomber frowned. Spider… human. She hadn't expected she'd ever meet that side of him but she had. Injuring himself badly to get her free, shouldering a man out of the way with his injured shoulder, climbing off a ship into the freezing water of the Pacific Ocean with an injury, constantly holding her on her feet as they trekked through the bush, and now volunteering himself as a pillow and blanket to ensure she didn't freeze to death. He had proven many times that her images of him were wrong, as she knew she'd done the same with him, but now the image she had was blasted completely out of the water. Yes, he was arrogant, a little superficial, rude and most of all determined to make her life a misery on board the Hammersley, but there were other parts to him. He was determined, he was selfless, and he was considerate, helpful and kind. Bomber glanced up at him one more time, watching his eyes move behind the closed lids. How could she have been so so wrong about Spider? It upset her a little that she'd been so quick to judge. It wasn't in her nature to make such rash decisions on people, but since she'd joined the Hammersley she'd been doing it. Buffer, the CO, X and especially Spider. Watching him sleep she almost sighed. Who was she and what had happened to the real Rebecca Brown?

Spider wasn't asleep; he'd woken quickly when Bomber's warm head had moved off his chest for just a second. Just a second, just one second, but it felt like it was haunting him. It had just felt so wrong to not have it there, and the moment it returned he felt better. But he also felt worse. It was making him sick. He really didn't need to be thinking these things right now, especially not in a situation like theirs. They were enemy, constantly at one another's throats over the smallest things. That and Spider had a girlfriend. Carly. She was great. Gorgeous, witty and entertaining. But everything he lacked in his relationship with Carly he found in his with Bomber. Strength, conflict and a challenge. He wouldn't deny that he'd been just the smallest bit interested in the young chef when she joined the crew, but had buried that after meeting Carly. Actually, had it not been a desire to show off in front of Bomber he never would've walked up to Carly that day at the island. She had infuriated him so much, almost pushing him off the boat in that training accident and then trying to apologize. Suggesting he hit her to make up for it. Spider didn't voluntarily hit people. And he would never hit Bomber. But like a primary school boy who throws balls at the girl he likes, Spider continued to taunt Bomber. Her food (which he actually didn't mind at all), chips, her nickname… anything he could find no matter how childish. And soon this became second nature to him. Eat, sleep, work, tease Bomber. It was a vicious cycle that he knew would end in her hating him. But last night she'd criticised him for not teasing her and he wondered if she too had grown accustomed to their battle. He'd been too tired then to reply in the way she'd wanted him to, and was a little disappointed in himself. And when he'd heard her shivering nearby he knew he couldn't sit back and let her freeze. In truth he cared just that little too much. He played the pillow, to many a generous offer but to him a chance of a lifetime he had seized. And now she was looking up at him, probably thinking she was watching him sleep and wondering what Spider would never know. But he wasn't asleep. He was watching her right back.

The sun had risen far into the sky before the pair of them moved. Realising they had to go before they were discovered, Spider opened his eyes, pretending to be waking up, and Bomber instantly sat up. She pushed herself to her feet quickly, completely discarding his arm with one quick move, and stood at the edge of the ledge, staring out over the bush and towards the sea. Spider watched her for a moment before catching himself and pushing himself off the wall with his good arm.

"Well, at least it didn't rain." He commented. Bomber glanced back at him but said nothing. She soon turned her attention back to the sky and then started off down into the bush again. Spider followed her.

"So, where exactly are we heading again?" He asked, hoping she'd thought up some way out of this that he hadn't.

"The beach on the other side of the island. If the Hammersley is coming from the mainland they'll come towards that beach."

"If they're coming from the mainland. They could be coming from anywhere." He pointed out.

Bomber stopped. "Oh great, that's so helpful." Spider frowned. Bomber was in a genuinely bad mood this morning and he knew better than to question her again. She continued anyway, determined to vent. "What do you suggest we do? Split up and stand on each side of the island, hoping someone will see one of us?" Spider averted his eyes from her gaze and Bomber took that badly. "Fine, you head back then. But just remember your completely stuffed arm." She motioned to it.

Spider was sick of this. "Already forgotten why my arm is stuffed have you?" He shook his head. "We'll do it your way, whatever." He walked past her, towards the beach.

Bomber caught up with him a few seconds later, her expression softened. She was looking at his arm and Spider stopped, suddenly worried. "It's not fine, is it?" He looked down at her. "I had my suspicions last night but now this. How bad is it?"

Bomber reached out and touched it gently, and the warmth of her touch spread through Spider, but the arm stayed cold. "I think there may be some nerve damage. If it's really serious than you may not be able to use it again."

With this knowledge Spider was a little overcome. He took a seat on a fallen log and raised his good hand to his face, rubbing his eyes wearily and staring at the ground. Permanent damage would end his career in the navy. He'd only just started too. Bomber sat down next to him and while her presence did make him feel better he felt really ill still.

"It may not be extensive. If it's only small than it can be repaired."

Spider glanced at her. "It was a basic dislocation and you put it back into place normally. There shouldn't be anything more to it."

Bomber looked at the ground and made a confession that made a sensation like ice spread through Spider's body. "I've only ever dealt with one dislocation, and in that instance I was able to get it back in and get the man to a doctor. Your arm was out longer than his, at least half an hour, and you've been using it since then without x-rays. I have no real idea of what damage you've done. I'm sorry, I stuffed up." She leant against his good arm, pressing her forehead against his arm as if looking for comfort. Naturally she got it, with Spider pulling her to him and, to his surprise and hers, kissing the top of her head. But he was in a bad way and a sound like white noise was running around in his head. And not even having Bomber there could help him right now.


	14. Lost, Found and Found Again

Chapter Fourteen:  
Lost, Found and Found Again

The Hammersley crew were quiet, still, and most importantly not whole without their two missing comrades. The babies of the crew, the duo provided the team hours of entertainment with their constant bickering, something everyone knew to just be a face to cover their attraction to each other. It was funny how living with people as close as they did could help them see things through their expressions. Sadness when they smiled. Pain when they sat determined. And love when their faces told you it was hate. Little things like a presence, a laugh or a name called even if you didn't see them for hours. Things like that were now missing from the boat. Bomber and Spider. The kitchen was empty, the room Nav shared with Bomber empty, Spider's bunk beneath ET unslept in and their abuse to each other which could he heard echoing down the hallways of the Hammersley gone. Even the ship seemed to know this. She creaked when she hadn't before, the deck where Bomber usually stood to watch the sunrise was splashed with sea water and wet all the time, and the new imaging device that Spider usually manned was on the blink. Charge called in pining. Like the crew she wasn't whole without them. And there was still the possibility they may not come back.

* * *

Bomber had spent the night against a tree, staring out to sea, lost in her own thoughts and anger at herself. She'd stuffed up, ruined everything, and now she was confused too. Spider didn't hate her for what she'd done to his arm, no matter how much she hated herself for it, and had rather comforted her when the guilt had finally got too much. She knew there was every possibility she'd helped end his career in the navy, a job she could tell he loved, and she felt worse than she thought she could possibly ever feel. She hadn't even been able to sleep the night before, staring out over the ocean all night after they'd finally reached the beach the afternoon before. How long they'd sat on that log she didn't know, it had felt like hours, before she knew they had to go. They had to get back to the shore before they missed any more boats going past, no matter the risk of getting seen by those Russians again. She had her gun back, and so felt a little whole again, and she'd take them on if they threatened her again. Whatever would happen to her if she did she wasn't sure, but the knowledge of what she'd done to Spider had left her in a renegade mode, but this time she was going to harness that destructive nature for good. Bomber by name, Bomber by nature. It was time to bring her out again.

* * *

Bomber was beyond thirsty and so far they'd only managed to get water from rock ledge holes, murky brown water that they knew wouldn't kill them but still tasted horrible. With Spider's cold, which he said he'd seen Swain about but hadn't got any medication for, making him very tired, Bomber was left to search for water by herself again. Coming across a small ledge she found a puddle of water, barely a handful and as brown as the rock behind it, but enough. Scooping it up gratefully she drank the last of the rainwater, feeling bad she hadn't found enough for Spider too. She vowed the next lot she found would be for him, even if she had to drag him there. It meant both of them leaving the beach, something they hadn't done a lot in fear they may miss a boat if they did. But Spider was no use to anyone dead from dehydration, especially to Bomber who would never admit it openly but was beginning to feel something like affection for the man. After 20 minutes she still hadn't found anything and headed back to the beach but her route was impeded by the sound of voices. Eastern Europeans. And she knew they were back.

They stood between her and the beach and yet all she could think about was the fear that they'd found Spider and done something to him. And she knew there was very little chance that he was still alive if they had. But she needed to find out if this was true first and, pulling out her gun, she started towards the beach as quickly and quietly as she could. From a metre away she could see three men talking in a small clearing and they were, indeed, the men from the boat. Passing them as quietly as she could she thought she was out of danger when they didn't look up but then a bush behind her moved and a fourth one stepped towards her. He obviously hadn't expected her there because when he saw her his mouth dropped before he started to call out to his friends. He didn't get a chance as Bomber pulled out her gun and shot him in the leg. It wasn't how she usually operated but it was called for. The man went quiet as he fell, but the gunshot had been enough. Within the space of a minute Bomber found herself surrounded and looking up at the three guns in her face with only one thought in mind. If she was going down she wasn't taking Spider with her. She stayed silent and turned away from the beach. The Europeans all smiled cruelly, Bomber knowing each one thinking of the perfect way to finish off the Navy girl. But they weren't alone and as they began to advance on Bomber, she still holding her gun on them in a mislaid attempt at defiance, the man closest to the beach fell forward as a shot rang out. All of them turned their attention to the sound and Bomber seized her chance, pouncing on the man closest to her and wrestling his gun out of his hands. The other man didn't have a chance to do anything as another gunshot sounded and he fell, shot in the arm. His gun skidded towards the man Bomber had just wrestled the gun off and he grabbed it quickly, turning it on Bomber. Holding two guns but with no desire to kill the man, Bomber aimed for what she could see of his legs and foot and fired to disable the man. It was a mistake and the man used his chance to turn on her, holding her around the top of her arms with both of his arms. Both were now useless. Bomber wrapped up in the boa constrictor embrace and he caught up in holding her arms and so unable to use his gun himself. With three figures on the ground nearby, one surely dead but the other two merely injured, Bomber feared she was done for, especially when the man she had shot first snatched her two guns out of her hands and turned them on her. But Bomber wasn't alone, as the man who held her clearly hadn't forgotten as his eyes scanned the bush for movement. Bomber saw it first. Almost right behind the man who now held two guns, the figure of Spider stalked from the bushes. His expression was very different to his usual smirk or cheesy grin. Had Bomber not been so confident now that she and Spider were something like friends she would've been scared. Instead she almost smiled at the sight of him. The look on her face made the man with the guns turn but he was too slow and without even blinking Spider shot him in the chest. The man fell and Bomber sensed the man that held her was surprised by the callousness and so seized her chance and threw his arms off. No time to grab a gun she ran towards and past Spider and into the bushland. She heard Spider turn and follow her and soon they were thick in the bush again. But they weren't free yet, the man following them in. They stopped for breath and Bomber glanced up at Spider.

"Thank you." She whispered. He just touched her arm softly before glancing back at the clearing. Bomber joined him, unable to see the man. She grabbed his wrist.

"C'mon." She whispered. They started running again and then a shot rang out and Spider fell. Bomber assumed the worst and something like a new person took over her. As she glanced down at Spider, the man barely moving, she noticed he'd dropped the gun. Grabbing it she hid behind the nearest tree as the man came closer. Then, as he reached them and looked ready to put a bullet hole in Spider's head, Bomber stepped out from behind the tree and shot him in the neck. He was dead before he hit the ground. She then went to Spider to find he'd rolled over, groaning but not dead. She almost hit him out of sheer relief.

"What happened? I thought you'd been shot."

Spider groaned again. "I bloody tripped and fell on my arm didn't I?" He glanced up at her with a small smile. "You did rather well back there."

Bomber grinned. "You too." She handed back the gun. "Where'd you get that from?"

Spider just gave her his cheesy grin, wiping out of her mind the recent memory of an animal-like Spider, emotionless and charging through the bushland. "There were five men weren't there?" He said mysteriously.

Bomber just smiled and then, to his obvious surprise, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Sitting up he patted her softly with his good arm before finally admitting she was pressing on his injured arm. She fell back into a crouching position and smiled at him. "Now we're even."

Spider just gave her a look as she helped him to his feet. "Even? I'm so far ahead."

"No way, snakes!" Bomber returned with a laugh. And they continued all the way back to the beach, blissfully happy and enjoying one another's company, forgetting just for that moment that they were stuck on an island in the middle of the ocean.


	15. And Just When All Hope Is Lost

Chapter Fifteen:  
And Just When All Hope Is Lost…

The night before hadn't been as cold as the first night out in the bush, but Bomber awoke the next morning to find herself again using Spider as a pillow. Yawning, strangely comfortable in this position, she finally pushed herself to her feet and walked down to the water's edge. She looked all the way out to the horizon, nothing but a large expanse of ocean to be seen. There was no Hammersley, not even another navy ship to be seen, and definitely no civilian ships out there. The reality of how big even their little expanse of ocean was gripped her again. It may take a week or more for them to be find. And then there was the possibility that the Hammersley had passed this spot and not seen them. Only the hope that they hadn't, or they'd come back, or someone else would find them by chance, kept Bomber going.

That and Spider. Her rock in the whole thing he was still leaning against the tree, staring out at the water seemingly lost in thought. She knew better than to disturb him and ask what he was thinking about, but somewhere in the back of her mind a voice wondered if he was thinking about her. At least it hoped he was.

* * *

Bomber's eyelids drooped. Tired from a lack of water, the heat and simple exhaustion, she hadn't managed to keep her eyes open for longer than ten minutes so far. Spider wasn't doing much better, his cold affecting him, but he was still talking to keep her awake and softly rubbing the top of her head to keep her headache away. It felt like one of those lazy afternoons she once spent with her mother when she was a child, but that was a very long time ago and since the fall out with her mother it had been like another lifetime ago. Now, as she sat there well aware they were on an island and running low on drinking water, she was content. Tired and hungry but content.

Spider moved, sitting up sharply and Bomber's eyes snapped open, assuming he'd seen the worst. But when she glanced up at him it wasn't shock in his eyes but pleasant surprise. He softly pushed her off him and into a sitting position, then stood. Rubbing her tired and heavy eyes Bomber pushed herself to her feet too.

"Spi?" She asked, trying to see what he could, but her eyes were still blurry.

She could sense him smile though and a second later he clapped joyously and disappeared from her view, headed for the waterline. Then she heard his voice and realised what he'd seen. It was a boat. Forcing her eyes to work she looked out at the water and saw it. A small boat, close enough to see them but far enough out for them to miss the Navy pair if they didn't make enough noise and attention. So, gathering the last of her strength she joined Spider at the shoreline and the pair started to call out to the boat. 5 minutes later it turned in their direction and Bomber sighed with relief. They were surely saved. She glanced up at Spider to find him expressionless. She gave him a smile and he glanced at her.

"That's it then. Back to normal." He said, barely looking at her but more over her head.

Bomber frowned, unsure what he meant. "That's the way it should be isn't it?"

Spider just looked back out at the ocean and ignored her. It was then that Bomber realised. Over the last few days she had come to grow accustomed to, even to the point of wanting, Spider to be nice to her, now she knew he could. She thought she'd felt friendship, then it was admiration and then affection. But they all led back to one thing. Rebecca was falling for him. She'd had something like it when she'd started on the Hammersley, but back then it had been nothing more than a schoolgirl crush on a boy she didn't know. Now she knew Spider. A side of him she yearned for, the witty and challenging side that made her Bomber and made her think, then the side she had grown to care about, the softer side that made her feel less like a machine and more like Rebecca. But going back to normal would mean losing that soft side and suddenly, despite everything, she felt no wish to be rescued.

She made to grab his hand. Made to tell him everything would be okay. But then he spoke. "You're right. Back to normal, the way it should be."

Bomber glanced up at him, surprised by his sudden cold demeanour. "Billy, I…"

But he cut her off. "No Bomber. I'd rather all this just stayed a nasty part of our past." And so, shut out again, Bomber grew back into her usual self around Spider, cold and defensive. So, avoiding looking at him, Bomber just stared out at the ocean in despair.

* * *

Ro had a smile on his face when he handed the CO the call from base. Taking it with just a little hope of what he'd hear, the CO raised it to his ear. "Sir?" He paused and saw Ro, Nav and the X eyeing him. He gave them a small smile as he heard what he'd wanted to hear. "Really? That's great news. Thank you. Yes, tomorrow night. Great. Thank you." He handed the phone back to Ro as he picked up the intercom.

"News from base. A civilian boat off the east coast of Miriad Island has found Able Seamen Rebecca Brown and Billy Webb." He paused, giving the nervous-looking Nav and very interested X a quick smile. "They're perfectly fine."

The crew of the Hammersley let out a collective sigh of relief and then, spurred on by a grinning Nav, the bridge started to clap. Soon the youngest, loudest and yet most valuable members of the Hammersley would be back. Sparring, working and allowing everyone on board to enjoy their presence. Rebecca 'Bomber' Brown and Billy 'Spider' Webb were coming back to the Hammersley. It was back to normal again.

* * *

Once they reached the military hospital they were split up and sent to almost opposite ends of the hospital. Spider's injury and the pair's dehydration causing the doctors and nurses to make a fuss, but by the Tuesday afternoon Bomber was free to leave. She was given a perfect bill of health and ordered out to the main part of the hospital where two very familiar and welcome faces met her. X and Nav gave her a smile, Nav going further and giving her a quick hug, before asking her how she was and how their ordeal had been. But Bomber didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted to know how Spider was. Nav shot X a knowing smile, something Bomber didn't miss, before explaining that he was fine and that a few of the boys had been in with him recently. Almost on cue ET appeared on the other side of the doors behind her and Bomber glanced back before walking as calmly as she could over to him.

"How's Spider?" She asked him, searching his face for signs of disappointment in her. There was none. Instead he just grinned.

"Doing his best impersonation of a hero. Reckons he single-handedly beat off those Russians. Don't buy it for a second. How did he hurt his arm anyway?"

But Bomber didn't answer him, instead frowning. "But how's his arm? Is it seriously damaged? Can he move it?"

ET nodded. "He can move it enough to flip me the bird when I laughed at his story." He saw she was serious and stopped smiling. "Bomber, he's fine. He had some surgery and they fixed a nerve. Just one. Nothing else. He'll be in a sling for about two weeks but after that he'll be back to work. Sorry to tell you his mouth still works." He laughed and walked off towards the other girls. Bomber just stared at the door he'd come through, torn between going to see Spider and just leaving him alone with the boys. In the end she decided when she remembered what they'd agreed on before they were rescued, normal and cold was better, and left with the girls instead.


	16. I Missed You

Chapter Sixteen:  
I Missed You

The kitchen was quiet, too quiet in her mind, and for a brief moment Rebecca was pleased. And then she remembered why. It was empty, loveless without the threat of falling plates, rummaged and rearranged cutlery and stolen food. The little things that had made her life on the Hammersley interesting, things that Spider had done to introduce her to life in the navy, and she suddenly missed them.

Checking the drawers, fridge, cupboards and bench tops she found everything in it's place, right where she'd left it when they'd gone out to find Charlie just last week. And, leaning against the counter she sighed. In its place wasn't normal, and right now she knew normal was under-rated.

* * *

Bomber growled, unable to find her whisk. It had been almost three weeks since the hostage situation and was the first day back on the Hammersley for Spider, but she hadn't seen him all day and for some reason found this strangely relaxing. She didn't really know what she'd say to him when she saw him again. Sorry for putting him out of work for two weeks? Or the usual snide remark or joke. Whatever it wasn't she couldn't tell him the truth, that she'd actually enjoyed getting to know him better out there in the bush and was actually worrying whether he thought the same. But she still hadn't seen him so it wasn't actually an issue. The issue now was where her whisk was. And whether it was the idea that after the bush nothing would return to normal or just completely blocking out that he was back on the boat, she'd completely forgotten Spider's acts of hiding her belongings. At least until she heard a few taps on the doorframe and a laugh and, turning quickly, she saw her whisk and Spider standing in the doorway.

"Lost something?" He laughed, hitting the doorframe with her whisk again. She stormed over and snatched it off him.

"If this batter has a strange, metallic flavour I'm putting it down to you." She replied, going back to her batter.

Spider just smiled. "Fine, blame me." He motioned to himself. "Notice anything different?"

"Yeah." Bomber glanced up at him, a mischievous smile on her face. "It's your monthly shower day isn't it?"

Spider laughed sarcastically, pulling a face. "Clever, very clever." He moved his left arm and Bomber's eyes went to his shoulder. He saw her eyes move and smiled. "Yeah, that's it. It's fine if you were wondering."

Bomber just nodded before looking back at her batter. Spider could tell she still felt a little guilty about the injury and sighed. "It wasn't your fault. According to the doctors you did the right thing. The nerve damage was from having it out too long, no one's fault and now it's back to normal it's fine."

"Yeah, well, still…" But Bomber couldn't think of anything to say and just fell silent.

Spider finished her sentence for her. "Just go to Swain next time I dislocate it?" He smiled and saw Bomber smile weakly. "What fun is that?" He took a step towards her and lowered his voice so only she could hear him. "Plus I don't think Swain would be as much fun to console if he thought he'd stuffed up."

Bomber's cheeks flushed a little before she rounded on him with an egg in her fist. "Out of my kitchen you." She joked, threatening him with the egg. Spider just smiled and backed up to the doorway, leaning against it and watching her.

"You didn't come and visit me, I was very upset." He remarked.

Bomber glanced up at him. "I'm sure you didn't have a real lack of visitors. How did Carly take it?" She asked, looking away again.

"I don't know. She didn't come see me either. I felt so loved in there. All my visitors were blokes." He grinned at her as she glanced up at him, looking confused. "Actually I haven't spoken to her in about three weeks. I think she got bored with me."

"You, boring? I find that hard to believe." She replied before heading to the fridge. "Actually, you missed this last week." Out of the fridge she fished a small plastic container and handed it to him. Spider opened it warily, finding himself looking down at a container of wild rice salad. He laughed.

"Thanks. I've missed your cooking." He put the lid back on the container and rolled it around in his fingers. "I have to go see Buffer. What's for dinner anyway?"

"Fish and salad." Bomber replied, glancing back up at him.

He just smiled. "Cool." He started off and then returned, walking towards her. He stopped about a metre from her and lowered his voice again. "I was wrong, what I said on the beach." He leant closer so he was barely a whisper that blew in her hair. "I missed you." He gave her his usually cheesy grin and walked off again. Realising she'd stopped breathing for a second she let it out slowly before looking back down at the batter and smiling.

"Yeah, you too Spider." She said softly to herself. Then she finished the batter and got back to work.

Back to normal? Normal was over-rated.


End file.
